The present invention relates to a metal plate with intersection beads, in particular a structure of a metal plate at a portion where the beads intersect.
An internal combustion engine is provided with a plurality of holes therein, such as cylinder bores, water holes, oil holes, bolt holes, push rod holes and so on. Some of the holes must be securely sealed therearound to prevent leakage of fluid from the holes.
Therefore, when the engine parts, such as a cylinder head and a cylinder block, are connected together with a gasket installed therebetween, the gasket must have specific sealing means around the holes to securely seal therearound.
In a steel laminate gasket formed of a plurality of metal plates, beads are often formed as sealing means around the holes to be sealed. When the gasket with the bead is tightened, the bead is compressed to form a surface pressure thereat to seal around the hole.
In a gasket, sometimes, holes to be sealed are located very close to each other. In this case, it is impossible to form a separate bead for each hole, so that adjacent beads are combined, and a common portion of the beads are eliminated. As a result, two beads are intersected together.
When the two beads intersect, the intersecting portion of the two beads becomes eventually large. Therefore, when a plate with the intersecting portion of the two beads is compressed, the intersecting portion can not provide surface pressure equal to that formed on the rest of the beads. The surface pressure at the intersecting portion is generally weaker than the rest of the beads. Accordingly, leakage may occur at the intersecting portion of the beads.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,047, a depression is formed at a middle of a intersecting portion of the beads to extend downwardly therefrom. The depression at the intersecting portion provides stiffness at that portion, so that the intersection portion can provide surface pressure substantially equal to the rest of the beads.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,515, a depression is formed at an intersecting portion of the two beads to extend from one side of the beads to reduce the area of the intersecting portion.
The above patents operate as intended. However, it requires additional treatment to the beads.
Therefore, one object of the invention is to provide a metal plate with an intersecting portion of the beads, wherein the beads can provide equal surface pressure even at the intersecting portion of the beads.
Another object of the invention is to provide a metal plate as stated above, which can be formed very easily without substantial treatment.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.